THE PRESIDENT: Admiral, thank you very much for a series of briefings that
really do comfort me in knowing that our federal government is
well-organized and well-prepared to deal with Rita. I've come here to
watch NORTHCOM in action, to see first hand the capacity of our military to
plan, organize and move equipment to help the people in the affected areas,
in this case, Louisiana and Texas.

We've had full briefings on the storm, it's activities. The first order of
business now is the search and rescue teams, to pull people out of harm's
way. Just had an assessment by General Honore of Lake Charles, Louisiana
-- it got hit hard. We've got teams on the ground, beginning to analyze
the situation and prepare the necessary response to stabilize the
situation, and, more importantly, stabilize there, as well.

It's very important for the citizens who have headed to East Texas to
understand that even though the storm has passed the coastline, the
situation is still dangerous because of potential flooding. A lot of
people have left the coastline and headed into East Texas and parts of
Western Louisiana. It's important for them to listen carefully to the
local authorities about whether not it is safe to return back to their
home. It's going to take a while for the authorities on the ground to
fully understand the impact of the flooding. And, therefore, people who
are safe now ought to remain in safe conditions.

At any rate, Admiral, thank you very much for your hospitality. I
appreciate your leadership. I want to thank all the folks who work here in
NORTHCOM for doing their duty, which is to organize and rally the assets of
the of the federal government, to help our fellow citizens who are in need.